As one of the idle rich in this Willow Lake, Old Mr. Foster was most afraid of troublemakers like Old Charles. Especially after hearing so many rumors about this fierce man—supposedly, when he gets ruthless, he doesn’t even fear the city’s noble families. There was once a young master from the Qin family who was kidnapped, and a ransom of a hundred thousand taels of silver was demanded. The Qin family paid, but the next day, all they got back was a head.

Old Mr. Foster didn’t want to see Carter Foster’s head—his own child’s head should stay on his shoulders for eating, after all...

Meanwhile, the various managers in the hall couldn’t help but exchange complicated glances, their minds all in turmoil.

So, it turns out there really are some greedy ones, already eyeing the The Foster Family business so quickly...

Previously, they had only been worried. But now, if even people like the Tunhai Gang are preparing to make a move against the The Foster Family, shouldn’t they also start making preparations? After all, they all understood that when disaster strikes, it can happen in an instant—if the Tunhai Gang really takes action, what power does the current The Foster Family have to resist?

Chapter 10: My Turn

The moment the name of the Tunhai Gang’s Old Charles was mentioned, the atmosphere in the hall grew stifling.

Each manager harbored their own thoughts. Old Mr. Foster’s face was ashen, and even Carter Foster frowned, deep in thought.

...

...

“Brother-in-law, listen to me...”

That maternal uncle, seeing how the mere mention of Old Charles had frightened Old Mr. Foster so much, grew bolder and said, “Things really aren’t like they used to be. The whole city is saying that the eldest son of the The Foster Family is gone, and before he died, he offended some big shot outside. No one knows when they’ll make a move against the The Foster Family. Now, nobody’s afraid of us anymore. Since Old Charles has his eyes on the The Foster Family business, that business is nothing but a source of trouble for the The Foster Family now. There’s no way you can keep it, so you might as well just give it to him and ward off disaster...”

Hearing this, Old Mr. Foster instinctively nodded. Even those managers and young masters, though silent, agreed in their hearts. For ordinary families like theirs, being targeted by such a fiend was a calamity from the heavens. Handing over the business wasn’t shameful—if they insisted on resisting, only to end up with their family destroyed, that would be true foolishness...

In the midst of this oppressive silence, Carter Foster suddenly interrupted his uncle, smiling as he asked, “How much did Old Charles promise you?”

The uncle’s face immediately turned awkward, and he fell silent.

The aunt chimed in from the side, “We’re just thinking of the The Foster Family, there’s no benefit for us...”

Carter Foster frowned, took a crossbow from a guard, and toyed with it in his hands, the direction seemingly pointed at Samuel Grant.

The uncle hurriedly shifted to shield Samuel Grant, stammering, “There’s really no benefit, it’s just that Old Charles said if I gave him the business contract for the Twelve Linked Docks, it would be his from now on. But he... he promised to give me three of them...”

“So you get nine on one side, three on the other, and my family gets nothing at all?”

Carter Foster sneered, handing the crossbow back to the guard, and said, “What wonderful relatives!”

“Old Charles is not someone you can afford to offend...”

At this point, the uncle threw caution to the wind and shouted, “Brother-in-law, you’d better think this through! Old Charles is a ruthless man—rumor has it he eats people’s hearts and livers with his wine! In Willow Lake City, he’s a law unto himself. Now that he’s set his sights on the Twelve Linked Docks, he already considers the business his own. If you refuse him today, I bet within three days he’ll come and take it by force...”

Mr. Foster’s face was ashen, clutching Carter Foster’s arm and repeating, “Yes, yes!”

“No need to trouble yourself, Uncle!”

But Carter Foster didn’t seem to care. He simply waved his hand for the guards to make way, then said, “If you go back and someone from Old Charles’s side comes to ask, please pass on a message for me: no matter how many days, he’s not getting his hands on the Twelve Linked Docks business!”

“You...”

The uncle was completely stunned by these words.

Where did this wastrel Second Master Foster get the nerve to challenge Old Charles?

Does he really think his elder brother is still alive?

But Carter Foster had made up his mind and no longer bothered with him, simply waving his hand, “See them out!”

Then he said to the uncle, “Your whole family needn’t come to my door again. That way, my The Foster Family won’t be accused of taking advantage of your little Qi cultivator!”

...

...

The uncle’s family, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly helped the cousin Samuel Grant—who was lying on the ground foaming at the mouth and sneakily watching the commotion—out the door, slinking away while cursing the The Foster Family in their hearts: even with their pillar gone, they’re still so fierce—sooner or later, they’ll all be dead.

The most awkward were the managers, who had watched the whole farce but hadn’t dared say a word.

Now that the uncle’s family had left, it was as if a mountain had been lifted from their shoulders, yet they still didn’t dare speak.

Their throats were parched, but no one dared reach for the tea nearby.

“Gentlemen managers and owners, I’m sure you all have plenty you’d like to say, don’t you?”